CASPER, Wyo. — The Biden administration issued an order blocking the ownership of land near F.E. Warren Air Force Base to a Chinese-backed cryptocurrency mining firm.
According to the Associated Press, the order near Wyoming’s nuclear missile base was imposed due to a “national security risk.”
The order forces the divestment of property operated by MineOne Partners Ltd., a firm that is partially backed by Chinese nationals. The company has also been ordered to remove certain equipment from the site.
The order comes ahead of stiff new tariffs imposed on electric vehicles, semiconductors, solar equipment and medical supplies imported from China, the AP said.
The Monday divestment order was made in coordination with the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., which is responsible for investigating corporate deals for national security concerns, the AP said.
MineOne purchased the land within a mile of the Air Force base in Cheyenne in 2022, they said, and the purchase was originally not reported to the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment as required.
The order did not elaborate on specific security concerns, but said there were issues with “specialized and foreign-sourced equipment potentially capable of facilitating surveillance and espionage activities,” the AP said.
